Kat Rolfson

PSY1010
Final Paper
Due 7/31/2020

Final Paper

Topic 1

A 2017 article in the journal, Psychophysiology, reviewed previous research examining the

relationship between loneliness and the physiological response to acute stress (e.g., immediate

threats in our environment – not chronic stress). The authors concluded that there was strong

evidence suggesting that high levels of loneliness is correlated with higher levels of

physiological responses (e.g., blood pressure, inflammation) compared to those who are less

lonely.

Part 1: Why would there be a correlation between loneliness and an increased physiological

response to acute stress?

The meaning of life has been a great topic of debate for hundreds of years. To some, the

measure of generational wealth is important. To others, the meaning of life is impact and what

you leave behind. While the question of what a life of fulfillment entails remains partial, we

cannot ignore the fact that there are basic necessities. Maslow would state that we need to satisfy

a specific order in the hierarchy of needs before achieving self-actualization, or our full potential.

Among the lower rungs of the hierarchy is the need of love and belonging. Maslow’s theory is

that a lack of satisfaction of love and belonging would impede us from moving on to the next

rung in the hierarchy, forever dooming us to a life of feeling unsafe (King 2019 pg 342). When

we feel unsafe, our autonomic nervous system, or more commonly defined as the feeling of
‘fight or flight’, kicks in. This is defined as acute stress. Although acute stress is often fleeting

and momentary, it can become a chronic, prolonged problem (King 2019, pg 45).

Maslow is not alone in recognizing the importance of social ties and support. One of the

needs outlined by the self-determination theory is relatedness, which is the need to engage in

warm relations with other people (King 2019, pg 344). Research has shown that social support is

one of the most important variables in predicting health. In fact, social isolation has six times the

mortality rate of cigarettes due to low levels of physical activity and higher levels of stress (King

2019 pg 526). Suicide, the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., is theorized by Thomas Joiner

to emerge from social needs not being met. When someone feels like they do not belong, are

chronically lonely, see themselves as a burden and often desire to die (King 2019, pg 483). A

detrimental effect of chronic loneliness is stress. Stress affects our immune system and ability to

fight off illness and disease, and chronic stress only compounds the health risks.

Part 2: If the research results described above surprised you, briefly explain why. For

example, why might you not expect the results described above?

Although I often heard about eldery people dying shortly after their spouse, I would not

have correlated it to chronic acute stress due to loneliness. It also makes sense why suicide

prevention advocates for reaching out and lending an ear. It’s an effort to show someone who

may feel isolated that they belong and are loved. Overall, it has inspired me to make contact with

more people that I care for and make an effort to raise awareness about being more inclusive in

social endeavors.
Topic 2

A 2016 research study in the journal, Social Development, found that high quality sleep during

infancy was correlated with better social skills (e.g., peer relationships/interactions) during

middle childhood.

Part 1: Why would sleep quality, as an infant, predict effective social skills during middle

childhood?

When we think about the growth and development of infants, we consider their

milestones. They exert masses of energy on mastering the motor skills it takes to lift their heads,

roll over and sit up. Their babbles and coos eventually turn into single and double words. They

start to codify information in their long-term memory for easy retrieval in the future.

Since infants spend their waking time learning new information and practicing skills,

quality of sleep is of enormous importance to their development. Sleep activates their brain’s

plasticity, which allows it to change with experience, and solidifies the learning the infant did

while it was awake (King 2019, pg 133). The neurotransmitter serotonin plays a key role in

maintaining the brain’s plasticity, and also regulates sleep and wakefulness. Low levels of

serotonin are linked to anger, anxiety, and depression, all of which affects quality of sleep (King

2019, pg 53).

Dopamine, another neurotransmitter that affects sleep, is responsible for our brain

recognizing reward. As such, it is released by the hypothalamus when we engage in activities

necessary for our survival. The hypothalamus regulates our daily rhythms of sleep and

wakefulness, or circadian rhythms, based on input from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
which is a small brain structure that monitors the change from day to night. Without it, we would

fail to get quality sleep.

Dopamine is also related to the personality trait of extraversion (King 2019, pg 53).

Extraversion is defined as outgoing and sociable. People who are extroverted tend to thrive in

social situations and enjoy interacting with others (King 2019, pg 378). Therefore, an infant who

gets quality sleep often benefits from the biological effects it provides and tends to be more

socially effective in later years.

Part 2: Did these results change your perspective on sleep, human development, social

psychology, motivation, personality, or other areas of psychology we have discussed? Please

explain.

Sleep is theorized to be regenerative and restorative to our body. It was incredibly

interesting to understand more about how sleep affects children, and how the parallels affect

myself. I personally have always struggled to fall asleep, let alone get enough of it. If I don’t get

enough sleep, it takes a very clear toll on my cognitive abilities. Doing further research has

encouraged me to create a consistent bedtime for myself, and establish a more defined routine for

my children.
 References

King, L.A.(2019). Experience Psychology with Connect Access (4thed.). McGraw Hill.

ISBN: 9781260236255